Located near Coalinga, California, the solar-biofuel projects will deliver a total of 700GWh of annual renewable electricity to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) customers throughout northern and central California.
Martifer’s renewable hybrid projects combine solar thermal trough technology and steam turbines powered by biomass fuel to produce hybrid solar-biofuel electricity.
PG&E has said that incorporation of biofuel increases the overall production of renewable power by allowing for around-the-clock production of clean energy, even at night or when sunlight is not at its strongest.
Each hybrid project will require 250,000 tons of biofuel annually, to be supplied from a combination of locally-produced agricultural wastes, green wastes and livestock manure. These projects are expected to begin operation in 2011. The contracts filed with the California Public Utilities Commission are part of PG&E’s broader renewable energy portfolio.
